In what way do you find it to be unsophisticated? It's a dynamic transducer, the general design is pretty much the same among all headphones and speakers more or less. Also, looking at any of the information that's currently available, it's very easy to tell there is nothing recycled in this headphone, it's clearly a new design. I'm personally very hopeful of this release if the K712 is any indication of the direction that AKG is taking. I really hope it does de-throne the HD-800 for me.

You might want to compare it to the HD800 driver and housing design broken down, Qualia 010 and the R10 or the K1000. Unique and different execution's at the same "transducer design". This simply looks like the T1 from a design perspective, stick driver to baffle and shove into chamber housing without dampening or whatever special materials used.

As for this dethroning the HD800, I don't see this happening at all, maybe if AKG got the old team together behind the K1000 and the old K240 designs than yeah they might come close.

Never understood the concept of pro studio headphone. I do get closed back headphone for filed recording but no producer will mix music with headphones in a professional studio ! why can't all these companies just focus on making HiFi gear or is this part of the marketing schemes?

As far as I know no dynamic headphone cost that much to built but I get that companies need to make cash to survive so can't comment too much on it.

Never understood the concept of pro studio headphone. I do get closed back headphone for filed recording but no producer will mix music with headphones in a professional studio ! why can't all these companies just focus on making HiFi gear or is this part of the marketing schemes?

As far as I know no dynamic headphone cost that much to built but I get that companies need to make cash to survive so can't comment too much on it.

After a few hours with the speakers the hps will help a lot as the second reference.

"Pro" headphones is marketing term for something better. If AKG would say "We created amazing detailed and balanced headphones", nobody would believe. But if they say "We created amazing detailed and balanced headphones, which can be used in professional studios for mastering.", half of the people still would not believe (and would like to hear them). But the other half is starting hype how amazing new headphones are good.

The same thing is with the (sport) cars. "We created new, fast car". yeaah, sure.... vs "We created new, fast sport car", ohhhh, I want one. Even if road "sport" car has nothing common with true, professional sport car.

You might want to compare it to the HD800 driver and housing design broken down, Qualia 010 and the R10 or the K1000. Unique and different execution's at the same "transducer design". This simply looks like the T1 from a design perspective, stick driver to baffle and shove into chamber housing without dampening or whatever special materials used.

As for this dethroning the HD800, I don't see this happening at all, maybe if AKG got the old team together behind the K1000 and the old K240 designs than yeah they might come close.

The only real difference I see with the HD800 driver is that it uses a ring radiator design. If you look closely at the chambers of both you will notice they use a nearly identical configuration, placing the driver to the far rear of the chamber. Comparison to the T1 driver isn't necessarily a bad thing. The T1 uses a great driver, it's just hampered by being placed in an completely un-dampened plastic cup. Also if you look closely at the rear of the K812 driver it appears that the blue color could be some type of gel or rubberized dampening material to cut down excess vibrations. What has also piqued my curiosity is that the driver shows 2 sets of terminals, which suggests a possible dual voice coil configuration, similar to what's seen in many subwoofers. It wouldn't surprise me given the much lower impedance than we would expect. Also I couldn't find any cross sections of the 010 or R10 drivers, though I'd be curious to see their implementation.

"Pro" headphones is marketing term for something better. If AKG would say "We created amazing detailed and balanced headphones", nobody would believe. But if they say "We created amazing detailed and balanced headphones, which can be used in professional studios for mastering.", half of the people still would not believe (and would like to hear them). But the other half is starting hype how amazing new headphones are good.

The same thing is with the (sport) cars. "We created new, fast car". yeaah, sure.... vs "We created new, fast sport car", ohhhh, I want one. Even if road "sport" car has nothing common with true, professional sport car.

It's more like a racing driver will want a bit more exciting cars for his daily tasks. BTW, AKG do create studio monitor hps for the last 40 years.

So far from the early impressions nobody complain about the 812 treble extension, on the other hand nobody was hype about the 812 resolution/ transparency. This alone makes me more curious about the 812.

The only real difference I see with the HD800 driver is that it uses a ring radiator design. If you look closely at the chambers of both you will notice they use a nearly identical configuration, placing the driver to the far rear of the chamber. Comparison to the T1 driver isn't necessarily a bad thing. The T1 uses a great driver, it's just hampered by being placed in an completely un-dampened plastic cup. Also if you look closely at the rear of the K812 driver it appears that the blue color could be some type of gel or rubberized dampening material to cut down excess vibrations. What has also piqued my curiosity is that the driver shows 2 sets of terminals, which suggests a possible dual voice coil configuration, similar to what's seen in many subwoofers. It wouldn't surprise me given the much lower impedance than we would expect. Also I couldn't find any cross sections of the 010 or R10 drivers, though I'd be curious to see their implementation.

I don't mean to be argumentative or antagonistic, but it just seems you're not examining closely enough before immediately chastising AKG for their design choices.

EDIT: If this truly is a dual voice coil design, expect it to benefit most from high current amps, though the efficiency should help offset that a bit.

That ring radiator design makes a very big difference to how the transducer behaves in it's current housing/driving efficiency and the sound reproduction, the only other dynamic transducer configured in almost the same like manner is the Qualia 010's. A lot of headphones have angled drivers or angled pads to reproduce a near reality soundstage/imaging pin point especially with instruments, so it's no surprise that AKG has finally seen some sense to use it, an open chamber.

The back blue part is an opening port for the backend of the voice coil for the membrane to breathe, it looks like AKG used a alu-mesh to prevent sibilance to the treble range if it were to be completely open as with the dual voice coil, AKG doesn't say anything it being a dual voice coil design but I'm willing to bet that is just a connecting terminal for the other channel/driver seeing as these are singled-ended cable entry.

The only reason why I'm skeptical of AKG achieving anything good is because they've been doing nothing but re-colouring, re-badging the same headphone released so many times with the same driver but a different colour and pad change but charging a high premium for this and treating it as a different model in there lineup. Not to mention and imho, everything from the K701 till now (except the 712 Pro which I haven't heard again is supposedly a rebadged Annie which I have heard) has been a disappointment.

That ring radiator design makes a very big difference to how the transducer behaves in it's current housing/driving efficiency and the sound reproduction, the only other dynamic transducer configured in almost the same like manner is the Qualia 010's. A lot of headphones have angled drivers or angled pads to reproduce a near reality soundstage/imaging pin point especially with instruments, so it's no surprise that AKG has finally seen some sense to use it, an open chamber.

The back blue part is an opening port for the backend of the voice coil for the membrane to breathe, it looks like AKG used a alu-mesh to prevent sibilance to the treble range if it were to be completely open as with the dual voice coil, AKG doesn't say anything it being a dual voice coil design but I'm willing to bet that is just a connecting terminal for the other channel/driver seeing as these are singled-ended cable entry.

The only reason why I'm skeptical of AKG achieving anything good is because they've been doing nothing but re-colouring, re-badging the same headphone released so many times with the same driver but a different colour and pad change but charging a high premium for this and treating it as a different model in there lineup. Not to mention and imho, everything from the K701 till now (except the 712 Pro which I haven't heard again is supposedly a rebadged Annie which I have heard) has been a disappointment.

That's a good point about the terminals. I hadn't considered that. I can certainly understand the skepticism. The K701 was one of my earlier headphones I owned and I really hated it only because I felt it had so much potential that it just didn't reach due to certain glaring flaws. The Annies corrected alot of it to a degree while sacrificing some treble and air. The K712 actually impressed me with its well balanced and engaging natural sound and I really think they have wrung the full potential out of the 700 platform, though it took years of tweaking to get there. I wouldn't be surprised if the changes with the Annies and K712 were products of trickle down research from the K812 project.

And just to clarify, I'm not bagging on the HD800, it still remains my favorite headphone I've owned. I just prefer to stay optimistic and hopeful and I know that the K812 is either going to make or break them for the future in our community. I'm mostly hopeful after hearing the direction they have taken with the K712 that the K812 will emobdy it's virtues but at an overall higher refinement level. I think what will happen is that the HD800 will remain a technically superior headphone, while the K812 ends up being more musically enjoyable.